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Wednesday, July 6

Signalizing Pat Booker Road

Yesterday, if you were on Pat Booker Road around Live Oak or Universal City, you may have encountered one of our crews working on traffic signals at the intersections of Live Oak Crossing and at Village Oak.

You'll see them out today, also - at the intersections of Athenian and at Buckingham Village.

If weather holds, in fact, you'll see our guys out there upgrading the traffic signals along Pat Booker Road through this week and again later in the month. This is all part of an effort to bring the new signals up to snuff with the new standard of protected and permitted movements on urban roads.

What does that mean? Well, put quite simply, the traffic signal industry (meaning the large mass of guys and gals who figure out how to tell drivers when they can and cannot go) has found a better standard of best practices with their turn signals.

While we're at it, we'll also install new Video Infrared Vehicle Detection System sensors (not actual cameras, but sensors detecting the flow and levels of traffic in a given direction) at each intersection and we'll upgrade the street name signs so they're easier to read.

The old signals, which featured a set of five lights on each signal, are being replaced with four-head signal units. The new signals will feature a "left turn yield on flashing yellow arrow" sign. This means if you're fixing to turn left at an intersection and you've got a blinking yellow light, you're welcome to do so - provided the intersection is clear. (That's a key proviso....)

The old system had signs that read "left turn yield on..." followed by a big green dot. The idea was those who wished to turn left could do so with that solid green light, as long as the intersection is clear. The new system focuses more on safety and removes confusion for those thinking they have the right-of-way for their left turn when that solid green light is lit.

The new system is also consistent with the system of flashing yellow arrows installed by the city of San Antonio in 2014.

While we're at each intersection, the signals will be turned off and traffic will be controlled by off-duty police officers. We expect our guys to finish each intersection in about four hours, and should really only be out there in traffic between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

If you're super curious, here's the projected schedule (keep in mind weather or other issues may cause this to change):

July 5 - Live Oak Crossing and Village Oak

July 6 – Athenian and Buckingham Village

July 7 – Coronado and Universal City Blvd

July 8 – Rose Garden and Kitty Hawk

July 18 – Northview/Stone Gate, Villa and Randolph Plaza

July 19 – Byrd and National

July 20 – FM 78

July 21 – Aviation*

July 26 – Loop 1604

Note on July 21, while signal crews are at work at the intersection of Aviation, we'll have maintenance crews working to improve the asphalt condition on Pat Booker at the railroad tracks - the goal there is to make your drive a smoother one.